November 24, 2010

UK's Kanter appeal first week of December

LAHAINA, Hawaii — Kentucky expects to make its appeal to the NCAA to have Enes Kanter's eligibility restored the first week of December.

"We are working with the NCAA and believe the appeal could take place the first week of December," UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy said. "It is our understanding that we could receive a decision a couple of days after that."

The freshman big man, who played three seasons for a professional team in his native Turkey, was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA earlier this month because he received $33,033 more than the necessary expenses permitted by the NCAA.

UK's final appeal in the initial-eligibility process will be heard by the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee.

No hard feelings

With UK playing Washington on Tuesday in the EA Sports Maui Invitational semifinals, a subplot about recruiting hovered over the game.

Kanter and Terrence Jones both committed to Washington before changing their minds and signing with UK.

Was there bad blood between the teams, a reporter asked Washington Coach Lorenzo Romar after his Huskies blitzed Virginia 106-63 Monday.

"If I really wanted to do the media a favor, I could make up some wild story: 'We hate Kentucky,'" Romar said. "Sorry, that's not the case. ... We respect the Kentucky program and the job they do."

'Sixth starter'

Calipari lauded how hard freshman Doron Lamb played against Oklahoma on Monday.

"Competing at a very high level," the UK coach said. "Basically, we have six starters."

Of course, all players can improve, including Lamb, and fellow freshman guard Brandon Knight. Calipari said he'd like to see more decisiveness on drives to the basket.

"When you get to the foul line, you have to start making decisions," he said. "If you don't, you start losing the ball."

Fans saluted

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo, whose team lost to UConn in the other semifinal, saluted his fans in Maui.

"We had a lot of fans here," he said after Monday night's game before adding, "Not Kentucky-ish."

In an attendance competition, Michigan State would be "a distant second," Izzo said.By Jerry Tiptonkentucky.com